Stolen Truck Recovered!!!!!!!!

I got the call today from the Berkeley police that they found my truck and caught the guy driving it.

If they had just dumped it like they usually do they wouldn't have been caught. They did steal the rack off the truck so I will have to build a new one, but that is OK since that rack didn't fit that truck very well anyway.

A funny bit is that while they stole the stereo from the dash, the guy driving it had 3 other stereos sitting on the passenger floor. The cops said I get to keep them since none are listed in their stolen property reports.

He was arrested while driving the truck so I know it runs and wasn't stripped.

The truck was stolen 6 weeks ago in Berkeley from a very nice neighborhood.

From now on I am using a steering wheel lock.

Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler
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Berkely Michigan?

Reply to
Clandestine

Do you know anything about the thief?

Just curious.

Congratulations!

i
Reply to
Ignoramus30876

No, Ernie is in er...WA or OR. Though he travels a lot.

Glad to hear ya got it back, with extra radios and a "new" rack to boot! ;-)

Tim

-- "I've got more trophies than Wayne Gretsky and the Pope combined!" - Homer Simpson Website @

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Reply to
Tim Williams

[snip]

The truck was stolen 6 weeks ago in Berkeley from a very nice

Steering wheels are designed to be weak so they bend and absorb impact so cutting through one is a piece of cake. You might want to look at something that locks the pedals like the AutoLock.

Steve.

Reply to
SteveF

He's obviously not a very bright thief.

Reply to
PrecisionMachinisT

...so if/when the truck is recovered, the steering wheel has been cut to remove it? Probably adds a whole 10-15 seconds to stealing the truck. Can be the most super-duper lock in the world, makes no difference if you cut the wheel and remove it, and the wheel is not so hard to cut.

If they have a tow-truck you're screwed anyway - if they are going to drive it away, taking a few ignition system parts with you is more likely to make a difference, I think. If you have an electric fuel pump, a hidden switch or two might help, as well (figure they'll probably bypass any on the ignition, if you've left them enough ignition to work with, or they brought their own parts). Fortunately no practical experience here so far.

Reply to
Ecnerwal

Berkeley CA

Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler

They say he has a long list of prior, but mainly for drugs and burglary. I doubt he actually stole the truck. Probably traded drugs for it.

Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler

"Ernie Leimkuhler" wrote: (clip) The cops said I get to keep them since none are listed in their stolen property reports. (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ You're luckier than I was. I lost about $500 worth of contents out of the car, but the cops said I could keep a towel, a shoe, and a six pack of cola.

The guy was really a good planner. He sold your radio, but continued to drive the truck, and had to get along without a radio.

Are you going to have to make a special trip to pick up the truck?

Reply to
Leo Lichtman

If they really want it they will get it. I have a steering wheel Club that I use sometimes. I just put it on the wheel without locking it. I figure it will deter somebody who is looking for a quick ride and they will take the unclubbed vehicle beside it. Billh

Reply to
billh

Useless devices those. 30 seconds with a dull hacksaw defeats them. If you want to go that route, get one that locks the brakes, like this:

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Reply to
John Ings

On Fri, 25 Feb 2005 00:37:14 GMT, the inscrutable Ecnerwal spake:

I watched that being done on a really old episode of Cops years ago. They took the bolt cutters to the wheel and 2 seconds later the brake pedal/steering wheel lock was on the ground.

The best thing I've seen so far is a keylocked fuel shutoff valve. Mount it under the driver's seat. In the old card, it would allow them to drive half a block before it quit. Newer cars with EFI won't start without proper pressure, so they won't run at all. Cheap and efficient!

--- - Sarcasm is just one more service we offer. -

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Reply to
Larry Jaques

I hope you don't learn the outcome and get as pissed off as I did when I was informed that the perp (or one of his associates) who strolled in one day and stole about 50 blank business checks from near the bottom of their box in our office, passed $10K of them, got cought, and went to trial.........got sentenced to just two months in the slammer and a year's probation.

I didn't find out until the next bank statement came in containing about a dozen checks "signed" with phony names bearing no relationship to the names of authorized signers on the account. We came out OK though, our bank credited them back almost immediately. and I expect that the supermarkets and other places which first accepted them took the hits.

Our cost was just 50 blank checks, and my embarrassment over not keeping our check supply in a locked place. They have been since then.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Wisnia

A BRILLIANT deduction. There is no such thing as a bright thief. Working in a business where one wrong move or just simply bad luck could get you 6-10 in the state pen or instant death in a hail of bullets from an enraged vehicle owner is just proof of a defective brain!

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

Will they let you weld the guy into a box and go crabbing in the Bay?

Gunner

Rule #35 "That which does not kill you, has made a huge tactical error"

Reply to
Gunner

In May of 2000, they left the truck but stole $11,000 dollars worth of tools and CNC replacement parts out of the back of the shell.

That was a few hours before I found out the ex old lady hadnt made any insurance payments for 6 months....

Gunner

Rule #35 "That which does not kill you, has made a huge tactical error"

Reply to
Gunner

"Jeff Wisnia" wrote: (clip) stole about 50 blank business checks from near the bottom (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ That's a well known technique. I'm surprised the police didn't suggest that you look for missing blank checks down in the stack.

Reply to
Leo Lichtman

Where" To each According to his needs, from those according to their ability" is a watchword.

Like Wow dude..their aint no such thing as private property.....

Gunner

Rule #35 "That which does not kill you, has made a huge tactical error"

Reply to
Gunner

Did you weld her in a box and go crabbing in the bay?

Reply to
Tm

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